kitchen table math, the sequel: 'Math Strategies for Women'

Saturday, June 12, 2010

'Math Strategies for Women'

from Gruber's Complete SAT Math Workbook:
These are questions that women found significantly more difficult than men did. However, after learning the strategies in this book, women scored just as high as men on these sections.

1. Carol has twice as many books a Beverly has. After Carol gives Beverly 5 books, she still has 10 more books than Beverly has. How many books did Carol originally have?

2. 5_2 x 9 = 5,2_8 (missing digits are different)

3. If s equals 1/2 percent of t, what percent of s is t?
I find this passage kind of charming: a remnant from a more innocent time. And I'm sure he's right. I'm sure these are problems Betty Draper would have struggled with.

Meanwhile, Gruber doesn't seem to have noticed the presence of algebra 2 on the new exam. If Betty's having trouble managing a simple story problem, she's really going to blow a gasket when somebody asks her to solve an inequality involving absolute value.

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